Lesson FITT Principles of Strength Training
By Carone Fitness
FITT Principles of Strength Training
Introduction
You should remember the FITT principle from your Fitness Fundamentals I. This principle gives you an idea of how to perform each exercise effectively. The goal of this lesson is to understand how the FITT principle can be used to make an effective strength training program.
If you remember correctly, FITT is an acronym that stands for: F - Frequency I - Intensity T -Time T -Type
1 FITT Principles of Strength Training
Frequency
Frequency in strength training, as any other exercise program, describes how many days per week you work out. This part of FITT is very important because, in order for a muscle to get bigger and stronger, it needs to be worked out consistently.
Optimally, strength training should be done 2-4 days per week, and each muscle group should be worked at least twice a week with a 48 hour rest period in between. You do not necessarily need to use the same exercise each time, but you should use the same muscles.
FITT Principles of Strength Training
Intensity
Intensity is one of the most important components of a strength training program. The intensity in strength training is based on the amount of weight lifted and the repetitions performed.
Like frequency, there is a minimum amount of intensity that should be reached in order for your exercise program to be effective.
2 FITT Principles of Strength Training
Strength vs. Endurance
It logically follows that if you lift heavier weights, you will not be able to do as many repetitions. A good rule to remember is that the heavier the weights lifted and the fewer the repetitions (2-6), the more strength is developed in the muscle.
With a moderate amount of weight and medium amount of repetitions (8-12) you will rely on a combination of strength and endurance, and you will gain some muscle mass.
FITT Principles of Strength Training
Strength vs. Endurance
If you lift a weight that is moderate in resistance for 10 repetitions, yet heavy enough that you struggle to complete the last repetition of each set. Then you are gaining strength and building muscle mass, a process known as hypertrophy.
When lighter weight is selected and lifted for 15-20 repetitions, it results in comparatively small gains of strength and size, but increases muscular endurance.
3 FITT Principles of Strength Training
Time
The “Time” factor in strength training does not dictate how long you should strength train for. Instead, this principle determines how many sets should be performed.
Sets refer to how many times a certain amount of repetitions are performed. For example, three sets of 10 would mean performing 10 repetitions of a particular exercise at three different times during your lifting session. Usually three sets are performed per exercise, but when you are just starting out, there is nothing wrong with doing two or even one set if you are new to strength training or have not lifted for a few months or more.
FITT Principles of Strength Training
Strength vs. Endurance
As you accrue more experience strength training, and get more physically mature (18 or older!), then increasing to 4-8 sets is a possibility.
For your program in this class, you should complete no more then three sets per exercise per work out.
4 FITT Principles of Strength Training
Type
The last part of the FITT principle is “Type.” In strength training, type refers to the kind of exercise and the way a particular exercise is performed. Type can also refer to the method of strength training done in general.
Many different methods can be used to perform the same exercise. For example, a bicep curl could be done using a dumbbell, barbell, machine, towel, or resistance band.
There are also many different exercises for working the same muscle. For example, the chest can be worked by doing a push up and by doing a bench press.
FITT Principles of Strength Training
Varying Exercises
Type is important but should not be manipulated too much. If you want to consistently progress, you will want to select 2-3 exercises for each muscle group using any of the modes listed above and stick to those exercises for a few months.
Even if exercises work the same muscle, they still will have different ways of doing it and so will have different resistances associated with them. This makes it difficult to chart your progress and measure your increases in strength if you are using too many exercises for a muscle group.
5 FITT Principles of Strength Training
Varying Exercises
The benefit of swapping out exercises after 2-3 months is to keep your program fresh and exciting. Changing the type of exercise in a balanced manner will help develop strength in a muscle without reaching a plateau, or ceasing of progress.
FITT Principles of Strength Training
Varying Exercises
As you can see, the FITT principle is a great guide for building an effective strength training program. Refer back to these principles often to make sure you are not omitting a key element or focusing too intensely on one part only.
For example, strength training daily to increase frequency but lowering the intensity each time you lift would not be an effective use of FITT. A combination of all four components—Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type—gives you a great place to start in developing the best program possible to match your goals.
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